# Aging: Cabinet vs. Dress Box



## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

I've seen multiple posts suggesting that cabinets age cigars better than dress boxes; specifically that cigars aged in dress boxes - although benefiting from the age - can lose a little something in the process compared to the same cigar aged in a cabinet.

Is this the general consensus?

If so, is the reason that the construction of the cabinet allows less air to circulate? 

If I acquire a dress box, can I simply transfer the cigars to a used cabinet box of appropriate size to get the same benefit?

Tim


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## vic_c (Sep 7, 2005)

According to the "MRN bible" they do age differently ..I believe the slide top cabs definitely age in a different way because far less air gets into them.
I don't see why you would be able to move cigars from a dress box to a cab for aging. As long as they are the same size and the box is full the air circulation should be the same. Although, when you buy cabinet selections they are supposed to contain "better" cigars from the manufacturer.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

"Better" as in hand selected - those that seem to be better constructed? Or rolled by top talent? Or "better" as in better marketing copy?


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## CrazyFool (Oct 2, 2005)

just do both! i buy (when applicable) a dress box of 25 for my display humi and a cabinet of 50 for reaching into daily. i guess im aging them more in the dress box but its all in a humi regardless. i now realize this was of no help. sorry.


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## NGuay (Dec 7, 2005)

According to the MRN book the blend can actually differ between the cab and the dress box versions. The example of this is the partagas short. I haven't tried them from both though, so maybe someone can confirm this and expand on it.


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

there is no difference in blend between the cab and dress box. I have seen cigars being packaged at the Partagas factory and the cigars are the same.


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## coppertop (Dec 29, 2003)

vic_c said:


> Although, when you buy cabinet selections they are supposed to contain "better" cigars from the manufacturer.


HUH??? Where did you get this info from? I don't think thats a true statement at all. Thats like saying Spain gets better cigars then London, or vice versa.

Yes, cigars age better in Cabs, why, well I couldn't honestly tell you. Maybe lack of air circulation, although when you open a cab to pull out a cigar it takes about the same amount of time then a DB does, also look at a DB, those cigars are packed in there nice and tight, so the air circulation theory has always bothered me. Personally I think it's the fact that they are in cedar boxes that help how they age. Cedar tends to hold humidity better, keeping the cigars inside in a more stable environment then DB.....but this is just my opinion. I have nothing to back this up.


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## SeanGAR (Jul 9, 2004)

coppertop said:


> Yes, cigars age better in Cabs, why, well I couldn't honestly tell you. Maybe lack of air circulation, although when you open a cab to pull out a cigar it takes about the same amount of time then a DB does, also look at a DB, those cigars are packed in there nice and tight, so the air circulation theory has always bothered me.


I agree. If oxygen is involved, it sure won't have a problem getting into a cabinet any more than into a dress box. Something else has to be involved ... and that basically has to be the box, if the cigars are the same.


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

So if it's the cedar, what would be the difference between aging in a cab and just pulling the bundle and putting it in a spanish cedar lined desktop humi? 

I'm assuming that the difference is that the closed cedar cabinet provides more stability in general than a dress box and also more stability when humidors are opened over the course of years of use - creating sort of a microclimate that is less susceptible to changes in RH.


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## TypeO- (Jan 4, 2006)

It's also been said that cabinets of 50 age better than cabinets of 25. I learned this from a couple of esteemed gorillas.

In a dress box, the cigars are pretty tightly packed, often creating a box pressed appearance in the cigars. In cabs, the cigars are loosely stacked. I would guess that there is more room between the cigars in a cabinet, allowing the cigars to "breathe" better. It would seem to me that air would be more free to move in a cabinet.


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## clovis (Apr 14, 2004)

"Better" as in hand selected - those that seem to be better constructed? Or rolled by top talent? Or "better" as in better marketing copy? 

I still say this rumor started for two reasons:
#1 If you are smoking 10 yr. old cigars...same brand, same yr, but one from a dress box and one from a cab, then ya, the cab cigars should be better if they do indeed age better...SO the rumor gets started that cab cigars are "better" to begin with, when in reality, I believe it was always a matter of aging (pure speculation, I don't smoke 10 yr. old cigars).

#2 I have less faith in this theory, and again it's just me thinking out loud, but the cab cigars are rolled, tied together and boxed. The dress boxed version is rolled and then crammed into a box so tightly that you actually smash the cigars (box press). Certainly that that's not good for a cigar's draw. Granted, I think the impact it likely negligible, but hey....smashing a cigar certainly doesn't help...hence the idea that cab cigars draw better or are of better construction

SOOO..
my verdict, if I buy 2 dress boxes of super young Party shorts (that's easy to do) and store them in a 50 cab for 10 yrs, they should taste like a 10 yr old 50 cab of Party shorts


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## OpusXtasy (Apr 2, 2005)

I have aged cigars both ways and while I have never been able to discern a difference in taste it always seems that down the road the cabinet cigars are in better shape and always burn better. If you have the choice always buy the cabinet.


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## RPB67 (Mar 26, 2005)

Blends are definatley the same.

I age cigars both in Cabs and Dress Boxes. I like to buy Cabs when I can for aging due to the cedar cabinet and the slide lid that closes I think it ages them in a better enviorment.

Dress boxes are good as well. But the cabs are a little better. Of course the condition of your humidor itself has a lot to do with the aging process.


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## vic_c (Sep 7, 2005)

coppertop said:


> HUH??? Where did you get this info from? I don't think thats a true statement at all. Thats like saying Spain gets better cigars then London, or vice versa.


I stated that " *cabinet selections* are *supposed* to contain *"better"* cigars" I have never worked in a Cuban cigar factory therefore I do not know if the cream of the crop actually goes into cabinet selection boxes. *Supposedly* London gets better cigars than Spain as well (English Market Selection) but I'm not staing this as a fact nor do I believe it! I do know that with 90% of the cabinets I have personally purchased over the years the cigars contained inside were better looking and tasting than dress boxes from the same years. However the cabs are not "better" enough to make me stop buying dress boxes!
Bolivar sells a cabinet selection for a reason, it's up to you to decide if they are more expensive because of only the packaging or because they are actually "cabinet selected".
I have a slight preference towards the cabs!


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## Bruce (Dec 31, 1999)

Guys, believe me, the cigars in dress boxes and cabs are no different. I have seen cigars being sorted and packed in Cuba.....so my knowledge is first hand.

Why do they "taste" better? Well here's my take on it, a view that some other aficionados hold also:

I think that when the cigars are new, there really isn't an appreciable difference in taste. However, when aged for a long period of time, the cabs are preferable over the DB's. 
IMHO the reason is because in the cabs, the aromas of the cigars are allowed to concentrate and permeate the cigars. The aromas are better preserved "intact" in the cab, especially in cabs of 50. The cigars are bundled together instead of being layed out in two rows seperated by a sheet of cedar. Bundled "in the round" allows for the aromas to concentrate.
Ever notice the aroma when you open up an aged dress box as opposed to a cab? Sometimes it's quite dramatic!
I feel it's this reason that the flavor is more intense/enhanced.
Also a dress box is "covered" persay with paper. The bottom is left "naked" for a reason, to allow moisture to permeate. A cab is completely "naked".


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## The Master (Dec 26, 2004)

Bruce is correct in everything he says. I have seen first hand what he has and my experience with cabs is the same as his. 

If I have a choice on whether to buy a cab or a dess box, I always choose the cab.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

whiteboard said:


> "Better" as in hand selected - those that seem to be better constructed? Or rolled by top talent? Or "better" as in better marketing copy?


Better as in hand selected, as all cigars as sorted by color, etc... The best ones go into cabinets, then dress boxes. Granted that they should all be pretty close to start with. Cabinets I am told age slower.

I would refrain from moving cigars from a dress box to a cabinet. If you wanted them in a cabinet presentation, you would've just bought it that way. I do not like to misrepresent the cigar. The next thing will be putting a Cohiba sticker on to make them taste better...


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

vic_c said:


> I stated that " *cabinet selections* are *supposed* to contain *"better"* cigars" I have never worked in a Cuban cigar factory therefore I do not know if the cream of the crop actually goes into cabinet selection boxes. *Supposedly* London gets better cigars than Spain as well (English Market Selection) but I'm not staing this as a fact nor do I believe it! I do know that with 90% of the cabinets I have personally purchased over the years the cigars contained inside were better looking and tasting than dress boxes from the same years. However the cabs are not "better" enough to make me stop buying dress boxes!
> Bolivar sells a cabinet selection for a reason, it's up to you to decide if they are more expensive because of only the packaging or because they are actually "cabinet selected".
> I have a slight preference towards the cabs!


:tpd:

Cab's are the way to go if you have a choice, except that they take more room up in the humidor...


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## Fredster (Jan 26, 2004)

whiteboard said:


> I've seen multiple posts suggesting that cabinets age cigars better than dress boxes; specifically that cigars aged in dress boxes - although benefiting from the age - can lose a little something in the process compared to the same cigar aged in a cabinet.
> 
> Is this the general consensus?
> 
> ...


Yes in theory that should work.


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## vic_c (Sep 7, 2005)

Bruce said:


> Guys, believe me, the cigars in dress boxes and cabs are no different. I have seen cigars being sorted and packed in Cuba.....so my knowledge is first hand.
> 
> Why do they "taste" better? Well here's my take on it, a view that some other aficionados hold also:
> 
> ...


THANKS BRUCE ...I think it has the most to do with the packaging itself as well!:tpd:


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## dayplanner (Dec 11, 1997)

mosesbotbol said:


> I would refrain from moving cigars from a dress box to a cabinet. If you wanted them in a cabinet presentation, you would've just bought it that way. I do not like to misrepresent the cigar. The next thing will be putting a Cohiba sticker on to make them taste better...


I am not overly concerned with the presentation of the cigars. For the most part, I'm the only one looking at them anyway. I'm simply trying to determine the best way to care for them and age them until its time for them to be smoked. I also believe in challenging my own beliefs and the beliefs of others - that a healthy discourse between intelligent, experienced people with diverse perspectives often ultimately leads to the truth. I'm here to learn.

As to what presentation I want when I buy cigars, I have some cigars that were not available in cabs - either because they weren't in stock or because I could only afford a 12 or 15 box. Your comment regarding the Cohiba sticker is actually the exact opposite of what I'm trying to achieve.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

whiteboard said:


> As to what presentation I want when I buy cigars, I have some cigars that were not available in cabs - either because they weren't in stock or because I could only afford a 12 or 15 box.


If you have a desktop humidor, just leave them in there. If you have a cabinet humidor, just leave them in the original package. They'll age either way. Smokers who buy cabinets buy them for multiple reasons, aging is just one of them. Dress boxes age fine too.


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## cohibaguy (Feb 22, 2006)

My source in Geneva actually prices cabs higher than DBs. For instance if you bought a DB (25) of a certain cigar that would come to say $8 a stick. If you bought the same cigar in cabs of 50, than it would be $8.5 or $9 a stick. They may of course be doing that because there is more demand for cabs for one reason or another. I personally can't taste the difference.


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## TimL (Mar 21, 2006)

Bruce said:


> snip...
> 
> IMHO the reason is because in the cabs, the aromas of the cigars are allowed to concentrate and permeate the cigars. The aromas are better preserved "intact" in the cab, especially in cabs of 50. The cigars are bundled together instead of being layed out in two rows seperated by a sheet of cedar. Bundled "in the round" allows for the aromas to concentrate.
> Ever notice the aroma when you open up an aged dress box as opposed to a cab? Sometimes it's quite dramatic!
> I feel it's this reason that the flavor is more intense/enhanced.


I agree with Bruce and add that cigars in the "Round" smoke better. Cigars are crammed in SPB's and made into a semi box press. I prefer Cab's/tubes/3x5,5x5 or BN's as I want the cigars to age "In the Round" and expand/contract as needed.


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## mosesbotbol (Sep 21, 2005)

cohibaguy said:


> My source in Geneva actually prices cabs higher than DBs. For instance if you bought a DB (25) of a certain cigar that would come to say $8 a stick. If you bought the same cigar in cabs of 50, than it would be $8.5 or $9 a stick. They may of course be doing that because there is more demand for cabs for one reason or another. I personally can't taste the difference.


It's probably the box itself that makes it cost more, as well as it takes up more room for shipping, storage, etc... I think it's worth it in most cases.


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## opus (Jun 21, 2005)

I think the box press and *the paper *on the DB have detrimental effects on cigars over time. I have noticed that fivers where each cigar is in a paper coffin retain that paper smell even after being removed.:2


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## sirwood (Aug 26, 2003)

opusxox said:


> I think the box press and *the paper *on the DB have detrimental effects on cigars over time. I have noticed that fivers where each cigar is in a paper coffin retain that paper smell even after being removed.:2


So what do you do? Do you take the cigars out of the 'paper coffins'?!?

I got some singles in paper coffins from a Cohiba sampler that I need to rest for ~3-5 years. I would some input as to whether I should take them out of the coffins for storage.


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## opus (Jun 21, 2005)

sirwood said:


> So what do you do? Do you take the cigars out of the 'paper coffins'?!?
> 
> I got some singles in paper coffins from a Cohiba sampler that I need to rest for ~3-5 years. I would some input as to whether I should take them out of the coffins for storage.


I take them out, I'm no expert though, just a personal preference.


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## One Lonely Smoker (Jan 21, 2005)

This is always bandied about on forums world-wide, and while it is true in my own eyes, it is a tricky concept at face value. TRUTH is, you have to make the decision based on what you like or what your time frame is on smoking the cigars. Like Bruce said, there is NO DIFFERENCE in the cigars. The tastes are changed due to the difference in the air exchange and the potential for press or no press. If you want some great PShorts, and you can't wait for them to age, get them in the dress box. They will be ready to smoke in less than a year. In a cab, you might have to wait 2-3 years for them to taste the way you want, or if you like them young and tangy, who knows. But dress boxes never seem to stay all that well shut after they are unsealed, and that extra air exchange can accelerate aging 100% IME. I always get a few flat dress boxes of shorts to have around for cravings, but I buy the cabs for my future, no question, I prefer cabs every time. In fact, I rarely buy anything else. If what I want is not SBN or SLB, I usually don't really want it. But of course, there are exceptions. Until Monte2 comes in Cabs again.


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